The History of Rosy’s
It was 1976 and Rosy Wilson, a twenty-one-year-old oil industry heiress and aspiring jazz singer, wanted her own music club on the Uptown side of town that would bring world class jazz to an intimate and luxurious setting. She found and renovated a 9,600 square foot building at the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Valence Street.
The 19th century brick warehouse turned out to be an enormous renovation, which Wilson financed herself for $1 million. The building had once been a cotton depot, a grocery store and a neighborhood bar called Felden’s that had closed in 1971. She added a second floor balcony to wrap around the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Valence Street. Tall French doors on the bottom floor open up the space for parties to spill out on the sidewalks. But within the building even more splendidly, a magnificent forty-foot tall glass atrium was constructed with two majestic ficus trees, bringing the outside in.
The Times-Picayune called the building “uptown jazz palace” that was “maybe just a little eccentric.” Wilson countered: “But if people didn’t make little eccentric moves sometimes, culture as a whole would be terminated. There would have been no Renaissance, and no jazz for that matter.” Wilson’s eccentric — and expensive — interior design combined Art-Deco, Victorian and Art Nouveau styles with artwork by Andy Warhol and Robert Rauchenberg. It was clear to everyone that the music club was a no-expense barred project for Wilson. To facilitate her dreams of being a jazz singer she added a recording studio. And she enlisted even the renowned New York graphic designer Milton Glazer (who designed the I ❤ NY logo) to create the club’s logo and ads.
Rosy’s brought not just jazz but a broad array of music, including Dizzy Gillespie, Irma Thomas, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, The Neville Brothers, Sarah Vaughan, Bobby Short, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, the Temptations, Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, the Eagles, the Who, Tom Waits, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Cover charges ranged from $12 to $20, and nightly performances were at 9:30 and 11:30pm. Rosy’s also functioned as a restaurant, serving three course dinners for up to 200. In addition, an oyster bar fueled guests in the late hours.
It was a glorious if brief time, Rosy’s closing in 1979 was attributed to Wilson’s changing interests — she moved to New York to pursue here singing career.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the building’s next inhabitants were a R&B booking agency, a filming location for “The Big Easy” with Dennis Quaid in 1986, and later, a bar. The bar owners changed the name from Rosy’s to Rosy’s Big Easy, and instead of live music the venue became a dance club with a raw oyster bar, billiards room, and sports bar with stadium style seating. This was also short-lived, as the building was sold again in 1998.
Phillip Wagner, Russ Walker, and Steve Zweibaum bought the building in 1998, changing the name from Rosy’s Big Easy to Rosy’s Jazz Hall. The restoration was designed to bring back much of the Rosy Wilson’s 1976 renovation, as a venue with unique areas for private parties.
Meet our Staff
Steve Zweibaum
Owner, Managing Partner
Steve came to New Orleans in 1988. With his love of food and music, he fell right into step with the Spirit of New Orleans and has never looked back!
After graduating from the Culinary program at SUNY Cobleskill and owning and operating his own artisan bakery for 4 years in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachussetts, Steve spent 14 years with Hyatt Hotels working his way through the ranks of the Pastry Department. It was Hyatt that brought Steve to New Orleans in 1988 to take over as Executive Pastry Chef for the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Through his years with Hyatt, Steve has worked with Chefs and mentors such as Alfred Kever, Helmut Leuek, Lee Conway, and Jim Schaeffer — to all of whom he owes a debt of gratitude!
Steve earned several honors and awards as Pastry Chef including a “Best In Show” award at the 1990 American Culinary Federation Food Show for his Sugar and Chocolate sculpting and dessert displays. His Chocoholics Bar at the Top of the Dome Restaurant was a popular Hyatt New Orleans feature for many years.
In 1999, Steve’s partners and longtime friends, co-owners Phil Wagner and Russ Walker, purchased the historic building at Tchoupitoulas and Valence. They restored and renovated the old New Orleans building that had been vacant for 7 years while respectfully maintaining its charming historic integrity. After discussing the idea of turning Rosy’s into a premiere event space with in-house catering and management, a new partnership was formed with Steve at the helm as Chef and General Manager of the brand new Rosy’s Jazz Hall Events and Catering. After spending the first 5 years in the kitchen, Steve currently oversees all in-house catering and event logistics with a sharp focus and strong emphasis on client satisfaction to ensure that each event is truly “Legendary.”
Rami Carter
General Manager & Event Coordinator
Rami Carter recently moved from Colorado to New Orleans and brought with her the love she has for all things weddings and events. Her past accomplishments include owning and operating her own design and planning company for many years that afforded her the opportunity to travel all over Colorado, the US and abroad.
Many of her past produced events have been featured in magazines and nationally recognized industry blogs such as the Knot, Rocky Mountain Bride, Little Black Book as well as many others.
Rami started her hospitality journey at El Centro College in Dallas, TX studying Hospitality Management. After a while she found her way to a upscale catering company where her passion for special events flourished. After marrying her husband Michael in their hometown of Dallas, they decided to take a leap of faith and move to Winter Park, CO. Soon after, with the help of a partner, started Pick Me! Weddings and Events. The Dynamic Duo designed and planned weddings throughout Colorado and elsewhere, for over 17 years together, working at some of the most beautiful venues, resorts, ranches and private residences in all of America. Of course, making sure to hit the ski slopes, trails or rivers during their visits to these gorgeous mountain towns while on the road “working”. Who says you can’t plan events with a bike or kayak strapped to the back of your car?
Rami moved to New Orleans in 2021 after visiting for years to attend the many world-famous events hosted in and around the city. She and Michael celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary here just before the pandemic and laughed that they should move back down south someday since they loved all that the city has to offer. She hit town filled with aspirations of continuing to be deeply involved in local community and part of the vibrant event and festival industry that is the heart of New Orleans.
Rami also works seasonally for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as a Volunteer Coordinator and has immersed herself in all facets of our Crescent City Community. She does so with a vivacious excitement that will definitely shine through while assisting on your next Legendary Event hosted at Rosy’s Jazz Hall.